Which laws apply

• Cottage food law

Allowed foods

Allowed: baked goods (breads, cakes, cookies, pies), candies, cane syrup, dried mixes, honey and honeycomb products, jams/jellies/preserves, pickles and acidified foods, sauces and syrups, spices. Not allowed: anything containing animal muscle protein or fish protein (no meat, poultry, seafood, gumbo, jambalaya, hot/prepared meals); no CBD unless FDA approves it as a food additive. There is no MEHKO-style hot-meals program and no food freedom act in Louisiana.

Sales caps

$100,000 gross annual sales per year to keep the cottage-food exemption, raised from $30,000 by Act 801 of 2026 (HB 403), effective August 1, 2026. (Note: the legislature's statute page text for R.S. 40:4.9(B) had not yet been updated to reflect the amendment as of this research; the official Act 801 resume digest confirms $100,000 eff. 8/1/2026.)

Permit steps

1. No health permit, license, or inspection is required — the statute exempts low-risk home foods from the state Sanitary Code (R.S. 40:4.9(A)).
2. Confirm every product fits the 'low-risk foods' list (R.S. 40:4.9(E)) — no meat or fish protein.
3. Get a current sales tax certificate from the sales and use tax collector of each parish where you will sell (R.S. 40:4.9(D)(2)) — fee could not be verified from a primary source.
4. Label each product to clearly indicate it was not produced in a licensed or regulated facility (raw unprocessed honey with natural pollen intact is exempt from the label rule, R.S. 40:4.9(D)(1)).
5. If baking breads, cakes, cookies, or pies: no employees may assist, pets must be excluded from prep areas, perishables held at 45°F or below; custard/cream-filled items require pasteurized dairy and strict cook-to-145°F/30-min and rapid-chill rules (R.S. 40:4.9(A)(2)).
6. No food-safety training is required by statute; no inspection is scheduled for cottage producers.

How to start in Louisiana

1. Choose products from the statute's low-risk list (baked goods, candies, cane syrup, dried mixes, honey, jams/jellies/preserves, pickles and acidified foods, sauces, syrups, spices) — nothing with meat or fish protein. 2. Get a current parish sales-tax certificate from the tax collector in each parish where you will sell. 3. Label every product to clearly state it was not made in a licensed or regulated facility (except raw unprocessed honey). 4. If baking breads, cakes, cookies, or pies, prepare alone with no hired help, keep pets out of the prep area, hold perishables at 45°F or below, and follow the custard/cream cook-and-chill rules. 5. Sell direct to consumers at farmers markets, festivals, or home pickup; bakery items may not be resold through retail businesses. 6. Track sales and stay under $100,000 gross per year to keep the exemption. 7. Could not verify from a primary source whether online, wholesale, or interstate sales are permitted under Louisiana's regime.

Recent changes

2022: HB 828 (Act 357) raised the sales cap from $20,000 to $30,000, effective 8/1/2022. 2025: HB 150 (Coates), a food-freedom-style bill creating 'farm food products' (proposed R.S. 40:4.13) with a $150,000 cap, passed the House 70-21 on 6/8/2025 but died in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee — never became law. 2026: HB 403 (Coates), Act 801, raised the cap from $30,000 to $100,000, effective 8/1/2026. No pending bills or scheduled future changes found as of 9/29/2026; the 2026 Regular Session has adjourned.

Official sources

• Louisiana Revised Statutes §40:4.9 — Low-risk foods; preparation in home for public consumption (cottage food law, full text)
• Act 801 of 2026 (HB 403) enrolled act — raises sales cap to $100,000
• Act 801 of 2026 résumé digest (House Legislative Services) — confirms $100,000 cap, effective August 1, 2026
• LDH Office of Public Health — food retail guidance (retail food establishments may not purchase from unpermitted/home-kitchen sources)